Warping My Jack Loom

Warping My Jack Loom
for a doubleweave blanket using Bartlett woolSett: 6epi (sleyed double at 12 epi)

(This was a slideshow on my old blog published on 4/9/2012. Since I no longer pay to host my fibernut.com domain I moved everything into this post for a reference)

My method is based on my reading of Deb Chandler's Introduction to Weaving and Cay Garrett's Warping All By Yourself and on a wonderful class I took with Tom Knisley at The Mannings.

I start by laying two flat sticks from beam to beam. The beater is pulled forward and I've used the big spring clamps to hold the reed on the sticks.

You can see the sticks going through the harnesses. The sticks are narrow enough to fit between the harness and the castle if I have a really wide warp.

I've put in my lease sticks and clamped them to the sticks too. I use a big binder ring from Staples to hold the lease sticks together. Then I cut through the end of the loops, or if a lot of knots were used you can cut up an inch from the loop end.

The warp is loosely wrapped around the back beam.

After finding the center of my reed and my warp I begin sleying the reed. I look at the cross, find the first thread and pull off the stick completely and put it through the reed. I keep the hook below the reed with my right hand and use my left hand to feed the hook. I secure the ends below with slip knots, usually according to my threading pattern. What I like about this is you see the way the warp will look and you can pull out colors and move them around. Great for a mixed warp. Some people sley from one color at a time, skipping dents as needed. I usually go right across (it will be a little messy, but it all straightens out)

Now I go to the back of the loom and bring the end of the warp over the castle and let them hang off the front beam.

Now put the reed in the beater and you're ready to thread!

Here's the same view from the back. Now I lower my back beam to the floor and put a stool or folding chair right in there. I also anchor the warp to the breast beam.

I push the beater towards the heddles.

Remember to turn your threading draft upside down, that way harness one will be the furthest away from you. I put the threads under the harnesses and hold them with my left hand. The I pull out with my right hand, all the way to the end, bend and push through the heddle. This is the slow part, because I double check every repeat, but time spend here will save you much angst. 
I'm about 75% of the way done. I tied slip knots in one inch sections so they'll be ready to tie on..

After I finished threading I put the back beam up and tie on to the apron in one inch sections. I push the beater back to the breast beam - then if I have any tangles the beater will come up to the castle. That's my signal to stop and untangle. I make one full rotation and then go to the front and give a tug. If the warp's not too wide I can fit half in each hand and tug. Some people go as far as putting the foot on the breast beam and really pulling, but I've found that the key is even tension, not heavy tension. This is where Cay Garrett's tensioning system can be used. You can also use lease sticks. Step on the tabby treadles and insert them in opposite sheds between the heddles and the back beam. 
I usually put a piece of screen door molding (.75" x .5") next to the knots and start the paper there. The molding keeps the knots from popping through. If you have a very long warp you can also insert warp sticks every couple of yards.

After the warp is beamed, come around to the front and tie on to the rod in 1" sections. I do the two outside groups and then alternately work into the center, increasing tension on the cloth beam as needed. To start I throw three picks of heavy scrap yarn without beating. Beat and repeat. That's all it usually takes to even out the warp and be ready to go.

And here we are! Opened out, fringe twisted, and washed.

Sampled and Ready to Go!!

 Finally got everything wound on a tied up.

My original plan was to use silver gray for the weft so I tried that first. Meh!  Other samples, going from bottom to top: off-white, evergreen, sagebrush, spring green.  After this shot I tried some 10/2 black but thinking that the thinner, darker yarn would make the warp pop.  Not so much.

The sagebrush won - just neutral enough to highlight the obscure the colors in the warp.

The tie-up included a floating selvedge on each side but of course I didn't bother with it.  That left some problems with the first and last warp thread. Solved that problem by threading them on harness 5 and tying it to treadles 1 and 3.  

Width is 13.2" in the reed and should give me two runners, one 70" and the other 60", plus a few placemats.

Taming the Monster

After thinking about how to continue with that pile of colorful spaghetti I put it downstairs and went on to other projects. Yesterday I decided it was time to tame that monster.

After lots of silly mistakes I was able to get it wound on using the trapeze.  I'm half way done threading and hopefully soon I will be weaving.

Part of the delay for getting to this project was driving up to Long Island and bringing Jackson back.  We spent lots of time exploring in Valley Forge, along with the zoo.

The ruins of the old Colonial Springs Bottling Company

Relaxing on the "relax" bench

Green Iguana

We even had time for a selfie on his last night!!! I look ridiculous but he loves it -- probably because I look ridiculous :-)

He wants to come back for two weeks next summer.  I better start storing up energy now!!

Backassward

My father never swore around us while we were growing up but after serving for more than thirty years in the military I know he had quite the vocabulary!!    He would say things like "Son of a Sea Biscuit" and when things were really going wrong he'd say that everything was Backassward.  Well, that's exactly what this weaving project is turning into!

I think it's because I used several project ideas and then came up with my own "shortcut" to winding so many different color combinations.  My "thought" process was here.

At this point I'm pre-sleying in an 8 dent reed so that I can keep the 3 thread units together.  I'll thread it and then use my raddle to spread it out over the planned 18.3" width.

Wish me luck!!

Roller Birds and Bumbaret

Finally getting the warp together for my Roller Birds and Bumbaret.  If you haven't seen Jean Newstead's design before here is Cotton Cloud's photo.

I created a threading chart by using the eyedropper tool on the photo of the cones.  I'll wind each set of colors separately and combine in the reed.

First up is the terra cotta and natural, the main color.  This will alternate with each of the other 5 combinations. 

The Long and Winding Road

Don't keep me waiting here .....

This warp sat in the raddle for a month and today I finally had time to get it wound on.  

Under the breast beam and over the trapeze.

I only had 3 small 1 lb. weights and was looking around for 5 equally weighted objects when I remembered our water emergency last March.  20 oz. water bottles did the trick!!

7 yards wound on.  Heddles counted and ready for threading.  I may have time on Sunday to begin threading, if not it's going to have to wait for another week because next week it's time for a visit to Marie's Funny Farm and then up to Countrywool.  Once we meet up with Claudia it's on to WEBS for what else? More weaving yarn!!!

Weaving Standstill

I haven't warped the loom in so long that I feel like I'm second-guessing every step.  So that went to the back burner and I took on projects that needed immediate attention.

I finished the pieces of my Nordique Swing. Now I need to block it then seam and finish the neckband and button band.  I bought this yarn from WEBS years ago.  I've made a Little Dimun shawl, this sweater, and I still have 8 skeins left!!  It is a lovely shade of red and a wonderful weight so I'm sure there will be make one or two more projects with it.

I also finished a quilt for little Autumn Jo.

Butterfly from Jacobean Flutters, digitized by Designs by Juju

I followed (not so well, apparently) Terry Atkinson's Yellow Brick Road.  I was so proud of myself for using up stash that it sort of went to my head.  I cut out everything right off the bat rather than reading the directions carefully.  You know, like the part that says read everything first, circling the numbers that apply to your size!! So, good news, I now have a quilt top ready to quilt for my brand new niece, Fiona Frances.  Little Fiona was not set to appear until October but she made her wishes known at 24 weeks and on Friday, June 13th was born weighing in at 1 lb. 4 oz.  She's a trooper, as is her mom, and is hanging in there, getting a little stronger every day.

The quilt can wait but I'm going to make a little flannel square with her initials to put over her crib so she has something from Auntie Char!

Life Begins Anew!!

My retirement will begin in three weeks.  In the meantime I'm preparing to reenter the world!!

Just scroll down two entries and you'll see the last thing to come off the loom -- over a year ago!  I thought I needed something simple to work out the kinks from weaving inertia.  These towels are known by Friendship Towels or Keep it Simple, but they actually date back to an old draft known as Huckaback in Davison's book.

Off the loom!

Both of the scarves are off the loom. I've finished twisting the fringe on one and hope to get the other one done by the weekend.  I forgot how time consuming, and repetitive that chore is.

 Next up are the From Hopi to Huck towels from Interweave's Winning Towels.

Two Quick Scarves

I'm trying to organize the overwhelming number of skeins, cones, and bags of fiber - not to mention the fabric, patterns, rulers, and embroidery threads!

I don't usually buy kits but I found this one - No Hassle Rayon Slub Scarves -  buried under piles of fabric.  You can choose your own colorway, so I went with the Autumn multicolor and two solids,  in curry and gold.

I'll weave two scarves.  One using the gold yarn for warp and the second with the curry.  Immediate gratification weaving!! I can't believe I've never woven a scarf before!

Tied One On!!

I absolutely love this part of weaving prep! As the warp smooths out and the colors line up there's nothing but possibilities.

All I have to do is tie up the treadles and I'm ready to go.  Considering how long it took to get this warp from the warping reel to the loom the weaving will seem like a minute! 

I don't know about your corner of the world but it's but excessively hot and dry here - well, no rain but plenty of humidity - this is PA after all!  The flowers and grasses are looking pretty bleak but I was able to catch a pretty good shot by getting on the ground and shooting up.  I don't think I need any reminders of how parched everything looked this summer.

Summer Fiber Fun!

There's been a bit of knitting.  Veronik Avery's Nordique Swing.  It made my list in 2009 but I never got around to finding the right yarn.  I'm using a Lane Borgosesia sport yarn that was part of a bag sale from WEBS maybe twenty years ago.  Do they even do that anymore?  You would call up a give some general color wishes and you got 5 bags of 10 balls each.  I think it was $50 so your yarn came out to $1 a ball/hank.  I used a ball or two for my Litla Dimun shawl and will have more than enough for this sweater!

Nordique Swing, IK Fall 2009

After more than six months languishing on the front beam of my loom, Ella's huck lace blanket is being threaded. Halfway there, another 350 ends to go.

Ella's Huck Lace Blanket

Lots of tee shirts were embroidered for spring and summer.  A lacrosse player for Jackson.  Jacob seems to be leaning towards golf.  At least he likes swing the club all over the place! 

Jackson's lacrosse shirt

Sewing for little girls is so much fun!!  Here's a little outfit for Ella.  She's already growing out of it so there are a few more on the cutting table. 

Ella's summer outfit

I even brought my Lendrum Saxony back into the living room.  That was relegated to safe storage when the kids moved in with us.  They've been in Long Island since last summer but I just didn't have my spinning mojo back.  Let's hope it's here to stay.

With any luck this is the start of a very productive and very relaxing summer.

Home Sweet Home

While I am on Facebook and I use Twitter for educational resources and updates I feel most at home here.  I'm sure that most of my readers have gone by the wayside but as many bloggers have mentioned the writing and documenting is the top reason most give for blogging.

This hit home when I was trying to remember how I made a huck lace baby blanket way before I had my own grandchildren.   I spent an hour or two trying to remember where I got the idea and how many threads I'd need, etc.  before I got the brilliant idea to check my blog!  Oops, here was everything I needed.  I love the reference to my mp3 player.  So old school.

This was from July 2004.

 I love the little insets of huck that surround the purple. 

 

The new incarnation will be pink, green, and a very pale yellow.  Why do I need to weave a new baby blanket you ask?  Here's why ....

After a false alarm round-trip to Long Island on Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon I found myself back in the car driving up at 1:00 AM Monday morning knowing that this little sweetheart had arrived.  

Totally worth the drive, I'd say!! And how is Jackson taking to this new addition?

It's exhausting work being a big brother.

But, again, totally worth it!!!!